RESIDENTS of Hayes who have been visiting their local opticians and hearing centre in Botwell Lane for the last 19 years will be delighted to hear the store has expanded in size and had a £310,000 facelift.
With its updated, stylised new frame displays, in-store lighting and iconic wall mounts, Specsavers Hayes has enhanced its floor space which means customers have a greater choice of clinics for both sight and hearing services.
To mark this investment and expansion programme store partners Raj Kukadia, retail director, and Irinder Singh Khakha, ophthalmic director, welcomed the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana, to officiate at the celebrations and store launch hosted on Saturday 30th September.
The Mayor was introduced to the Hayes team and then given a tour of the newly modernised practice, with its on-site laboratory offering customers a faster turnaround time for their glasses, an in-house call centre and revamped staff recreational area. The administration and IT areas have been increased to streamline the running of the business. Following the store tour, the Mayor gave a short speech and cut the green ribbon which marked the official re-launch of Specsavers Hayes.
Customers can now benefit from the very latest state-of-the-art pre-room testing diagnostic equipment, including a dedicated hearing centre, with soundproof booth for customers to have their hearing tested, coupled with the latest micro-suction equipment for wax removal..
There are five consulting rooms, and two dual rooms offering enhanced customer service facilities. The store holds five sight clinics a day and three hearing clinics on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Customers can also choose to have an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) 3D scan, which is advanced diagnostic, eye-scanning equipment that helps detect serious eye conditions, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, up to four years earlier than traditional methods.
The OCT is hospital-grade diagnostic imaging equipment and uses light to take more than 1,000 images of the back of the eye and beyond, looking at the optic nerve and creating a cross-sectional view. The added benefit of the scan is that each customer’s OCT images can be stored, with any changes being observed over time – a real benefit to the monitoring of someone’s overall eye health.
Following his official civic duties, Councillor Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana was given a sight test so he could experience the testing rooms first-hand. Raj Kukadia says: ‘We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Hillingdon today to officially launch our newly refurbished store. The expansion makes a huge difference to its look and feel, plus the extra space enhances our customers’ in-store experience.’
Ophthalmic director Irinder comments: ‘Our additional clinical capacity will help us to meet the demand of our community. And the latest diagnostic testing equipment provides customers with the opportunity to access hospital-grade equipment here in store.
‘We have a great team who are professional and committed to delivering the best customer service and care to our community.’
Specsavers recommends that adults have an eye test at least every two years, and children should visit every year. The NHS will cover the full cost of an eye test for anyone who qualifies. All children under 16, as well as those under 19 in full-time education, are entitled to an NHS-funded eye test.
For sportier children who play contact sports, then contact lenses might be an option – the store team is happy to assist with their fitting.
To book in for a sight or hearing test, you can contact Specsavers Hayes on 020 8756 4980. Alternatively, you can book online at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/hayes
